Modern Slavery: Human Trafficking In The United States

Modern Slavery
The most well-known example of slavery to most Americans is the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which brought millions of African American people to the New World to be slaves. However, not even the 13th amendment can put an end to slavery. In 2005, the International Labour Organization estimated that between 980,000 and 1.2 million children are victims of human trafficking (“Combating Human Trafficking”). These children came from 127 countries and were recruited by a promise of a better life (“Combating Human Trafficking”; “Child Trafficking”). Human trafficking is an international concern which demands more initiative to bring it to an end. A common form of human trafficking is sex trafficking. The U.S. State Department has estimated that 80
percent of internationally trafficked victims are female, and of those victims, 70 percent are trafficked into the sex industry (Clawson et al.). Sex trafficking has been a global issue since the early 1900’s, and it continues to grow as traffickers create more sophisticated ways of getting their victims from their home to their assigned destination (“Sex Trafficking”). In fact, UNICEF reports that in Asia alone there are just under one million child prostitutes (“Sex Trafficking”). Most of these victims come from India and the majority of them are young girls. Victims of sex trafficking are more prone to attract sexually transmitted diseases which give rise to trafficking younger girls to meet the demand of customers who want virgins (“Sex Trafficking”). This is creating an even larger target age of victims which is why human trafficking, especially sex trafficking, must be given priority when solving world issues.
Forced labor is another form of human trafficking that is a prominent problem. Children are preferred to traffickers because “they are more easily controlled, cheaper, and less likely to demand better working conditions” (Clawson et al.). Traffickers take advantage of a child’s naive mind and promise to give them, and their family, a better life. These kids also do not understand what is acceptable treatment in the workplace which makes them even more vulnerable to trafficking. According to the article “Child Trafficking,” the victims of forced labor are exposed to toxic chemicals and dangerous machinery which adds to their unsafe working and living conditions. One way traffickers ensure the cooperation of their victims is by encouraging or forcing them to take drugs or other substances (“Child Trafficking”). This makes their victims more dependent on them and also makes them easier to control. Drugs also are used to make their victims work more efficiently. Forced labor is an inhumane way to treat innocent people, and deserves proper attention to bring it to an end.
Human trafficking is not only a problem in other parts of the world; it is a problem that hits closer to home than expected. In fact, it is estimated that 199,000 minors are victims of sexual exploitation each year in the United States (Clawson et al.). These are children from all over the country who are taken advantage of to bring their traffickers more power. In 2000, the Chicago neighborhood of Chinatown encountered a startling discovery. Women from rural China were brought to the United States with the promise of high paying jobs, but once they arrived, they were forced into prostitution to pay for their “travel fee” (“Human Trafficking Timeline”). This is one of many examples of people being brought into the United States for the sole purpose of trafficking them. A similar situation occurred in 2005 when police found undocumented Chinese and Korean women inside an illegal sex spa located in Rockford, Illinois (“Human Trafficking Timeline”). These women were slaves to their traffickers and were not allowed to leave the building. These instances prove that human trafficking is not solely an international problem, but rather one that occurs on American soil daily. Prevention of human trafficking is the key to ending it.
The first non-governmental organization to focus on human trafficking was formed in 1988 (“Human Trafficking Timeline”). This was the first crucial step towards eliminating human trafficking. From this, another organization was formed with the hope of putting an end to child trafficking one day. The organization is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and they work with governments and other organizations to protect children who are vulnerable to trafficking and help those who are already victimized by it (“Child Trafficking”). It is organizations like these that are bringing an end to the exploitation of people all across the world. However, it is not just big organizations who can put an end to human trafficking. If healthcare workers are trained to recognize if a patient is a victim of human trafficking rather than an ordinary patient, they are helping bring one person out of this horrendous cycle. Prosecutors also have to be effective in getting traffickers off the street so they can no longer exploit innocent people. With all these components working together, there is hope that one day there will be an end to human
trafficking. In eight United States cities alone, sex trade is worth more than one billion dollars (“Human Trafficking Timeline”). The unfortunate reality for many people is that they have been victimized and exploited by traffickers who have no regard for their well being. Human trafficking is the unfortunate life, many people are forced into, and it is a global problem which deserves the attention to eliminate it.